May 2008 was an important moment in the history of the GVP as two years' work culminated in Middle School pupils being able to take their SATS for Maths at the end of Year 8--one year early! The results were superb with over 80% of pupils in all schools gaining Level 5 or above and 25% of students gaining Level 7!! By July 2009, students joining Stowmarket and Stowupland will have completed all Key Stage 3 work in English, Science and ICT as well. This means that the Year 9 curriculum in High Schools is starting to look quite different.

There will be a host of Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications on offer for Year 9 students with both schools focusing on the new functional skills accreditation in literacy, numeracy and ICT along with Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS). Sports Leaders Awards and work-related "tasters'' in   areas such as Construction, Engineering and Society, Health and Development are all developments made possible through the condensed approach.

In addition, some GCSE modules in Maths and Science will also get underway in Year 9 to ensure pace and challenge for all students.

The GYP has led the way in developing condensed programmes of study and such innovation is now paying handsome dividends.